Breakfast time and since it's the second time we were staying at New World Guiyang Hotel; we knew roughly what to expect for breakfast!
As my mood was pretty bad that morning, i stressed binged by eating quite a lot of pastries and desserts. It's rare for me to be doing that as i am on a rather regular carbohydrate-restricted diet. Wait, did you notice something similar on the plate? A slice of bika ambon (the honeycomb cake from Indonesia)?!
It's like a drier, less oily version of bika ambon and in China (maybe only in Guizhou); the name given to it is gold cake which i presume is a direct reference to the colour.
Checking out the scenery outside the huge gym at New World Guiyang Hotel; my dad and i actually mentioned that we should check out the pavilion on the left when we returned to Guiyang but with the loss of the DSLR; i absolutely didn't have the motivation!
The coach bus that had been our only mode of transportation for the eight days spent in Guizhou; of course, a vessel is useless when the main operator is incompetent. Thankfully, we have a really skillful and responsible one.
On Guiyang's roads! As Guizhou's provincial capital, Guiyang has towering skyscrapers signifying its economic power although in terms of population, it's smaller than Singapore with just a little over 4 million people.
Nevertheless, i totally enjoyed the wide roads and the frequent sighting of flowering trees! It's a good choice to visit during spring, especially for flower-crazy individuals like dad and i. p.s. we just like the beauty of flowers and don't know much about the specifics; i.e. species.
Stopped for inspection by a group of voluntary corps. Our tour guide was visibly pissed as it would affect our tour timing, especially when it's also the day where we would be taking the plane back home!
Continuing our way to the icon of Guiyang.
A visit to the icon; Jia Xiu Pavilion (甲秀楼). In addition to the century-old pavilion, we also dropped by Cuiwei Garden. p.s. actually we went to use the washrooms there but inside was nice; peaceful and even poetic.
Getting excited over the sakura trees dotting the area surrounding Jiaxiu Pavilion! Most of the trees were quite tall but we found one sakura tree that's much shorter (second picture).
A super cute toddler!
Building being demolished!
Overhead bridge that connected all over the place; i personally think it's good to have such overhead bridge but the issue we have in Singapore is the burgeoning elderly population and climbing up the stairs can be a real hassle for them.
On my way to Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport!
Reaching! Opened in 1997 with a change in name in 2006, i wondered why it's called longdongbao which literally means dragon cave fortress. =
A picture with Huan Huan, our pretty and sweet yet capable tour guide who passed us troves of knowledge about Guizhou and never failed to be caring towards the older generation.
Even though it had been eight days, i actually didn't buy much things that were authentically Guizhou and hence, scrambled like mad at the airport's retail store! Thankfully, Huan Huan had kindly shared the kind of food souvenirs that are popular among tourists; if not, i sure i would be in a fix.
Checking in; two boarding passes as Guiyang has no direct flight to Singapore and we have to transfer at Guangzhou instead. Not the first time for me as i did the same route for my Guilin trip in 2015.
More shopping! Don't bother buying any silver accessories here as the prices are way too high!
Boarding the Boeing 737-800 China Southern Airline plane; i still remember when Singapore allowed boarding as per above way when the budget terminal was open but the officers strictly disallowed people from taking photos! To be honest, i have yet to face such rejection overseas.
Departed smoothly! Compared to the gloomy, overcast weather encountered over the past few days, it's refreshing to see clear, blue sky!
Our airline meal; served in a paper bag!
Well, not much of an issue for me anyway since i am more used to flying budget airlines which don't serve any food at all and i am too stingy to buy. In the paper bag was a burger, a cup of yogurt and a bottle of mineral water.
Why why why is it a rice burger?! The reference i can draw from is that this was a bland version of Lo Mai Gai (steamed glutinous rice with chicken).
Arrived safely at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport - now, since i have not taken any tour in Guangdong province; i didn't know what's their local specialties. However, a number of service crew from different outlets recommended the kai zai peng (chicken biscuits) and i bought a pack out of curiousity. To put it simply, i finished the pack in 2-3 days and i am STILL craving for more.
Since the airline meal didn't satisfy me, i got a serving of the Hongkong Style Bubble Egg Waffle from 香港米芝莲 (Mai Chi Lin) to placate my tummy. Click here for review.
Maotai is the national liquor for China and its popularity among the elites can be drawn from the price it is sold at; a 1.5-liter bottle cost RMB 9980 (about S$2,000)! Always good to buy from official shops as there are many fakes around.
Watching the sky turned from daytime to night on the plane ride back to Singapore.
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